all the way to
the top of my head as I realize I said those words out loud. One fist comes up
to rest beside my head on the wall as I crush my eyes closed as if that will
help me block out Tom’s incessant ranting.
“You should have just left so you could spare us all this
trouble! Now we’re stuck , Jonah, we’re stuck in this stinking Hell hole
while the cops plot our deaths.” Tom hisses in my ear and I feel the heat of
his breath against my neck. I wish he weren’t so real, and part of me wishes
that I thought he was real so that I was oblivious to my insanity.
“In just two days that broad has ruined our entire lives!
D’Salvatore was right in telling us that she was off limits, never mind about what
I said earlier. Don’t try to get her pants off, Jonah, or we’re going to be in
even deeper than we are now. I have a bad, bad feeling about her!” Leaning
against the wall is not going to get him to go away, so I push off and put my
back to the bricks. Two of the men in with me stare at me warily as I slide
down and put my head in my hands, waiting for something from the officers. The
waiting is the worst part.
Just as Tom is going on about how we’re going to end up in
Hell within the next forty eight hours, I hear the sound of boots clunking down
the concrete hallway and immediately stand up. It’s the Chief of Police with
someone behind him, and I catch a glimpse of her blonde hair framing her pale
face. I don’t need to see anymore to tell that it’s Anastasia D’Salvatore, and
Tom grips the bars next to me as he stares out at her.
“One last time, are you sure this is not the man who
kidnapped you?” Her blue eyes search mine and I let my fingers slide off the
bars as I see the scrape along her jawline. She’s alive, but she’s not
unscathed.
“No, he wasn’t the man who kidnapped me. Now will you please get him out of there? He needs his medication and a shower.” Tom lets his head
fall back and laughs raucously with his hands thrown up in the air. I chance a
sidelong glance at him, and Anastasia gives me an understanding nod. The door
to the cell slides open with a hiss, scrape, and then a loud clang as it hits
the end.
“Come on then, Quinton, you’re free for the time being.” I
immediately step out of the cell like the hounds of Hell are on my heels, and
don’t even wait for the Chief or Anastasia to catch up with me. I don’t stop
until I’m standing outside of the precinct in the fresh, afternoon air.
It takes her about five minutes, but Anastasia finally
catches up to me with a bottle of water in one hand and the pill bottle in the
other. Tom is nowhere in sight, but as soon as my high from getting out of jail
wears off he’ll show his ugly face to me again. So I take the pill from
Anastasia without looking at her and down half the bottle of water. In half an
hour, I’ll feel dizzy and sick because I missed a dose, but I won’t be seeing
Tom.
“The car is around back. I wasn’t sure if the reporters
would still be here.” Anastasia puts a hand on my forearm as she leads me
around the back of the building. I slide into her rental and lean the seat back
so that I don’t have to look out any windows. My arm goes up over my eyes to
block out the light, and as soon as I feel her pull out of the precinct parking
lot I’m asleep.
I wake up to the feel of the gravelly, dirt road underneath
the tires that make the car jostle around. Anastasia pulls the car up to the
front steps of the farmhouse and turns off the ignition. She sits there for a
few seconds staring at the field surrounding the house with her hand still on
the keys in the ignition. She still hasn’t looked over at me yet, so she
doesn’t realize that I’m actually awake. I take advantage of that and watch her
even breathing, and the way that the afternoon sun makes her hair look like
tendrils of gold.
“I called about May before I came to pick you up.” Guilt
floods me, how could I have forgotten about
the top of my head as I realize I said those words out loud. One fist comes up
to rest beside my head on the wall as I crush my eyes closed as if that will
help me block out Tom’s incessant ranting.
“You should have just left so you could spare us all this
trouble! Now we’re stuck , Jonah, we’re stuck in this stinking Hell hole
while the cops plot our deaths.” Tom hisses in my ear and I feel the heat of
his breath against my neck. I wish he weren’t so real, and part of me wishes
that I thought he was real so that I was oblivious to my insanity.
“In just two days that broad has ruined our entire lives!
D’Salvatore was right in telling us that she was off limits, never mind about what
I said earlier. Don’t try to get her pants off, Jonah, or we’re going to be in
even deeper than we are now. I have a bad, bad feeling about her!” Leaning
against the wall is not going to get him to go away, so I push off and put my
back to the bricks. Two of the men in with me stare at me warily as I slide
down and put my head in my hands, waiting for something from the officers. The
waiting is the worst part.
Just as Tom is going on about how we’re going to end up in
Hell within the next forty eight hours, I hear the sound of boots clunking down
the concrete hallway and immediately stand up. It’s the Chief of Police with
someone behind him, and I catch a glimpse of her blonde hair framing her pale
face. I don’t need to see anymore to tell that it’s Anastasia D’Salvatore, and
Tom grips the bars next to me as he stares out at her.
“One last time, are you sure this is not the man who
kidnapped you?” Her blue eyes search mine and I let my fingers slide off the
bars as I see the scrape along her jawline. She’s alive, but she’s not
unscathed.
“No, he wasn’t the man who kidnapped me. Now will you please get him out of there? He needs his medication and a shower.” Tom lets his head
fall back and laughs raucously with his hands thrown up in the air. I chance a
sidelong glance at him, and Anastasia gives me an understanding nod. The door
to the cell slides open with a hiss, scrape, and then a loud clang as it hits
the end.
“Come on then, Quinton, you’re free for the time being.” I
immediately step out of the cell like the hounds of Hell are on my heels, and
don’t even wait for the Chief or Anastasia to catch up with me. I don’t stop
until I’m standing outside of the precinct in the fresh, afternoon air.
It takes her about five minutes, but Anastasia finally
catches up to me with a bottle of water in one hand and the pill bottle in the
other. Tom is nowhere in sight, but as soon as my high from getting out of jail
wears off he’ll show his ugly face to me again. So I take the pill from
Anastasia without looking at her and down half the bottle of water. In half an
hour, I’ll feel dizzy and sick because I missed a dose, but I won’t be seeing
Tom.
“The car is around back. I wasn’t sure if the reporters
would still be here.” Anastasia puts a hand on my forearm as she leads me
around the back of the building. I slide into her rental and lean the seat back
so that I don’t have to look out any windows. My arm goes up over my eyes to
block out the light, and as soon as I feel her pull out of the precinct parking
lot I’m asleep.
I wake up to the feel of the gravelly, dirt road underneath
the tires that make the car jostle around. Anastasia pulls the car up to the
front steps of the farmhouse and turns off the ignition. She sits there for a
few seconds staring at the field surrounding the house with her hand still on
the keys in the ignition. She still hasn’t looked over at me yet, so she
doesn’t realize that I’m actually awake. I take advantage of that and watch her
even breathing, and the way that the afternoon sun makes her hair look like
tendrils of gold.
“I called about May before I came to pick you up.” Guilt
floods me, how could I have forgotten about
Similar Books
